In the automatic assembly of printed circuit boards it is usually required that components be located at intended positions on the board for soldering or other attachment to the board. In automatic assembly machines of known construction, often called pick and place systems, a pickup head includes centering apertures into which a component is inserted for placement at intended positions on a circuit board. The component in this type of head is centered by its installation in an aperture of the pickup head which is in a known position. Other pickup heads include calipers for aligning a component and transferring the aligned component to the board surface.